The King of Rouran
by Vanex
Summary: When Minato seals the Ryumyaku, something goes wrong. In the future, the light of the Ryumyaku fades to reveal only Yamato. Saddened over the loss of Naruto, the team proceeds to leave the ruins of Rouran. Once outside, something shocking happens.
1. Prologue

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here's a new story! I have a feeling that this one will be a bit crazy. Let's see where it takes us. But before we begin, I seriously recommend that you find a way to watch Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower, before reading this story. Otherwise, you'll be wondering what the heck is going on. _**

_**Also, I'm making one other change. The continuity for the movie makes no sense. It's after Naruto learns of Jiraiya's death, but before the invasion of Pein. I know this because he knew of Jiraiya's death, but not that Minato is his father, as well as the fact he doesn't have Sage Mode (Placing the movie there is impossible because he left with the toads after he decoded Jiraiya's message). Instead, I'm going to have the movie take place after the Five Kage Summit Arc (Which means that Naruto knows that Minato is his father, and he also has Sage Mode).**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Prologue**

Minato watches as Naruto strikes Mukade with the Super Rasengan. Naruto comes out the other side of Mukade, the attack having gone all the way through the puppet body and destroying the weak point. The two watch as the rest of Mukade writhes.

"The Five Shinobi Countries. History should have been mine!" Mukade begins moving towards the pit leading to the Ryumyaku. "I can't die like this! You are all going to die together with me and the Ryumyaku!"

There is an explosion as some of the puppet body is destroyed. The rest writhes for a few seconds, before falling over the edge and into the purple ooze that is the Ryumyaku. It begins reacting violently, turning red.

Minato looks in horror. "This is bad! The Ryumyaku is going to erupt!"

The room shakes and Naruto quickly realizes something. "Sara! Run!"

The queen of Rouran, Sara, is still standing on the center platform, trying to make her way across the walkway to join Naruto and Minato. But the walkway begins to collapse.

Naruto quickly dashes forward to save her. Minato is right behind him. The portion of the walkway under Sara's feet collapses, sending her tumbling down towards the red ooze beneath her. Fortunately, Naruto gets to her in time and grabs her hand, trying to pull her back up.

"Don't let go!" Naruto says to Sara. However, the portion of the walkway under Naruto collapses. Minato tries to get to him, but the portion of the walkway under him collapses as well, sending all three towards the Ryumyaku. But, all three are saved by the timely use of Mokuton, by Yamato, who just arrived with Kakashi. All five now stand on the center platform, where the interface to the Ryumyaku is located.

Minato quickly comes up with a plan. "Naruto, the Flying Thunder God kunai I gave you! Let's seal the Ryumyaku completely!"

Naruto pulls out the kunai and hands it to Minato. However, neither Minato nor Naruto notices that the seal on it has been damaged.

Minato quickly runs up to the interface. "Seal!" He stabs the kunai into it. A blue light glows from the interface, as a glowing blue seal forms around it. However, sparks start flying from it and from the Ryumyaku. "Something's wrong!"

Sara cries out in alarm as both Yamato and Naruto begin glowing. The glow fades, then reappears, fades, reappears. There is a bright flash of light.

20 years later...

"Naruto!" Sakura reaches her hand out to the glowing column of light that has ensnared both Naruto and Yamato. The light retracts back to the interface and fades away, revealing Yamato, unconscious on the platform.

The ink bird carrying both Sakura and Sai lands on the platform, the two rushing over to the unconscious Yamato. He groans as he wakes up. "What happened?"

"Captain Yamato, are you all right?"

"Sakura? Sai? I think I'm okay. I guess time has returned to normal."

"Where's Naruto?"

20 years ago...

Naruto groans as he sits up. The flash of light had knocked them all to the ground. "Sara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Naruto. What happened?"

"I don't know. Minato? Captain Yamato? Kakashi-sensei?"

"I'm okay." The two see Kakashi holding his head.

"Something went wrong with the sealing." Minato is looking at the kunai.

Sara is puzzled. "What do you mean? The Ryumyaku is definitely sealed. I can feel it."

"Yes, but when time returned to normal, it should have sent both Naruto and Yamato back to their time. For some reason, Naruto is still here."

Naruto notices that Yamato has vanished. "So, what's wrong?"

"The seal on the kunai is damaged. It must have happened during the fight."

"Now that you mention it, Mukade did strike the area where the kunai was stored. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

Minato looks at Naruto, before giving his answer.

20 years later...

"What?"

"You heard me Sakura. Naruto is stuck twenty years in the past. For some reason he wasn't returned to the present along with me."

"What can we do?"

"I don't know Sai. We must report to the Hokage about what's happened. Then we can work on a way to get Naruto back."

"But-"

"I'm sorry Sakura. We don't have a choice."

The three leave the chamber and walk out into the ruins of Rouran. Sakura notices something that shocks her. Yamato and Sai look at what she saw and are shocked as well.

Three people approach them, coming from a caravan sitting just outside the ruins. A man, a woman, and a girl around Sakura's age. The three walk up to them.

The girl speaks first. "We passed by and felt the disturbance in the Ryumyaku. So we came to take a look."

The three don't really pay attention to the girl, focusing instead on the man, shocked at what they are seeing. The man is tall, with blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker marks on his face.

Sakura is the one to speak the question on their minds. "Naruto?"

Naruto smiles. "It's been a long time Sakura. Sai. Captain Yamato. Sorry for taking so long to get back. I had to take the scenic route."

The three are too shocked to speak. The woman elbows Naruto, who gets the message.

"Sorry. Captain Yamato, Sai, and Sakura, this woman is the former queen of Rouran and my wife, Sara. This girl is my daughter, Hitomi."

**Vanex: _Well, well. Naruto got trapped in the past, married Sara, and had a child with her. How will things change, now that Naruto is twenty years older than he should be? Will he still fulfill the prophecy and defeat Madara Uchiha? How the heck did he even end up with Sara anyway? See you all next time!_**


	2. Chapter 1

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here we go with the next chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 1**

Sakura can't believe her ears. "Wife? Daughter?"

"That's right."

"I guess this means we fail to rescue you from the past."

"That's right, Captain Yamato. Well, actually you won't rescue me, because I'm requesting that you don't try to rescue me."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'm happy, Sakura. I have a wife and a daughter that I love very much. I don't want to erase that."

"But you don't belong there! You don't belong with that whore!"

"That's uncalled for, Sakura!"

"How dare you insult my mother!"

Sakura turns her head to face Hitomi, just in time to be hit in the stomach by her. Sakura falls to knees clutching her stomach.

"Hitomi!"

"Sorry, Mom. But she called you a whore!"

"I understand, Hitomi. She had it coming. But you should have left this to your father. These are his friends, Hitomi. Besides, I love it when your father defends us."

The two women giggle.

"Getting back on track, the mission is complete. Mukade is dead. You guys have to report back to the Hokage."

"What about you, Naruto?"

"I'll be coming with you. I have some things to take care of in Konoha, before I return here to assist with the reconstruction of Rouran."

"The reconstruction?"

"Sure. The only reason I didn't do it sooner was to protect the timeline. For me, my trip back in time is something that must not be changed. Otherwise, my life with Sara and Hitomi would have ceased to be."

By this point, Sakura has stood up again. "But you're a ninja of Konoha! You can't leave us!"

"I haven't been a Konoha ninja in twenty years."

"But you are still listed as a Konoha shinobi! So you still have to stay with us!" Sakura smiles in victory.

"That's what you think."

The smile drops off of Sakura. "What do you mean?"

Naruto smiles. "You'll see. Sara, I trust that you and Hitomi can start with the reconstruction without me?"

"Of course, dear. Go have fun in Konoha. But I think that she should go with you."

Sakura is confused. "Who is she?"

"No one you need to worry about, Sakura. Wait here, you three."

Naruto walks back over to the caravan. A cloaked woman steps out and follows Naruto back to the group. He then kisses Sara and hugs Hitomi, before turning to face his former team.

"Right, shall we get going?"

"Will she be able to keep up with us?"

"Of course! She's a ninja after all."

Yamato sends the cloaked woman a suspicious look, before the group leaves, heading for Konoha.

*Scene Change*

In Suna, Gaara is sitting in his office, when Kankuro walks in.

"We received a message from the royal family of Rouran. It's time for the city to be rebuilt."

Gaara nods his head. "Right, we'll send some ninja and civilians experienced in building to assist them."

Kankuro nods his head and leaves. Gaara leans back to ponder.

"I'm glad you found a life where you're truly happy, Naruto."

*Scene Change*

Tsunade is in her office, working on paperwork. Shizune walks in.

"Lady Tsunade, Team Kakashi has returned."

"Thank you, Shizune." Tsunade waits a few minutes, before the team enters her office. Her eyes widen upon seeing Naruto. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's a long story, Lady Tsunade. I don't even know most of it, myself. Naruto is the one with the answers."

Tsunade sighs. "Bring me up to speed."

A hour passes, as the team tells Tsunade everything that happened on the mission.

"Okay, I only have three questions. Why weren't you sent back to this time, Naruto? What have you been up to over the last twenty years? Finally, who is this woman?"

The woman reaches up and pulls back her hood. Tsunade's eyes widen upon recognizing the woman.

"Kushina?"

"It's been a while Tsunade! Nice job becoming the Hokage!"

"But how? You're supposed to be dead!"

Naruto speaks up. "What? Did you really think I didn't make any changes to the timeline at all?"

Tsunade glares at Naruto. "Do you have any idea of what you've done?"

"Yes, I risked a paradox by saving my mother's life, but it was worth it. Plus, I made sure no one knew that she was alive. If anything, people assumed that her body was obliterated."

Tsunade sighs. "How did you do it?"

"Well, I should start at the beginning. After my dad examined the seal..."

The hours pass with Naruto telling everyone what happened to him over the last twenty years.

"That is one hell of a story."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage."

"Lady Hokage? What happened to Granny?"

"What? I'm married to a queen. Do you really think she wouldn't have whipped me into shape about showing respect to people?"

Tsunade gets up. "Well the first thing to do is confirm the existence of that document you mentioned in your story. If it exists, then you are no longer a shinobi of Konoha. The rest of you are dismissed."

Everyone except Kushina and Sakura leaves the room.

"Sakura, I said you were dismissed."

"I want to see this document with my eyes, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade nods as the group of four leaves the Hokage office and walks down to the secret chamber, containing the Hokage vaults. The group walks up to the vault of the Third Hokage, where Tsunade proceeds to open it. Sure enough, inside there is a file, with a blood seal on it.

"Now, if your report is accurate, the Fourth Hokage made that seal, to insure it isn't opened prematurely. Since he would have had no reason to enter the Third's vault, he would never have found this document. Now, only a relative of the Fourth can open this document."

Naruto nods. He then bites his thumb and swipes the blood over the seal. The seal glows and then fades away. Naruto opens the file and pulls out the document. He hands it to Tsunade.

"It's confirmed. This is Naruto's resignation document, signed by the Third Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki is no longer a shinobi of Konoha and can leave whenever he wishes."

Sakura's eyes widen upon hearing that, before she turns and bolts out of the vault. Naruto sighs as he watches her go.

"Poor Sakura. She probably thinks I'm abandoning her, like Sasuke did."

"She just can't handle that you moved on from her to someone else."

"She also doesn't quite understand that the world doesn't revolve around either her or Sasuke. Besides, it took me years to realize this, but she's a woman who loves having a guy wrapped around her finger. I'm no longer the lovesick idiot I was."

"So Naruto, I assume that you and Kushina are going to return to Rouran, to rebuild it?"

"Yes. I'm sorry Tsunade. But Rouran is my home now. Once I do a few more things here, I will depart."

"I'll have to announce to the village what happened to you."

"Be careful when you do that. While the ninjas and some of the civilians have accepted me and see me as a hero, most of the civilians still think I'm a demon. They'll won't take the fact I'm married to a queen and legally free of Konoha very well. They may try to have me killed."

"I'll do whatever I can to stop them. Goodbye Naruto. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Granny Tsunade."

Instead of being angry as she usually is upon hearing that, she chuckles instead, knowing it's the last time she'll ever hear that. Naruto hands her his headband, and then turns and leaves the vault with Kushina.

**Vanex: _Before all of you start asking questions, let me explain how this story is going to work. It'll be two stories in one. Not only will you be seeing the events happening in the present, but you'll be seeing the events of the past, too. I'll be alternating between the two. So, the next chapter will be in the past. Then the chapter after that, will be in the present. So, most of your questions will probably be answered in future chapters. See you all next time!_**


	3. Chapter 2

**Vanex: _Hello all! After the last chapter was released, cmcwiki gave me an idea to italicize the last lines of each chapter, so that you guys can keep track of both stories. From this moment on, I will be doing that, except that it'll be the first lines, which will be the same as last lines of that story's previous chapter. Also, I forgot to mention one thing. I was asked a question earlier. The girl we know to be Sara's daughter in the movie and Hitomi are the same person. I just gave her a name and listed Naruto as her father. I didn't make that clear earlier. Now then, here we go with the chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 2**

"_The seal on the kunai is damaged. It must have happened during the fight."_

"_Now that you mention it, Mukade did strike the area where the kunai was stored. Is there any chance of fixing it?"_

_Minato looks at Naruto, before giving his answer._

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't fix it. You're stuck here in the past."

"What do you mean?"

"Even thought the Ryumyaku is sealed, it's still unstable. In order for me to fix the seal, I would need to unseal it. Doing so will destroy Rouran."

"What about using another Flying Thunder God kunai?"

"I haven't made much of those kunai, yet. In fact, there is only one other one, and it's in Konoha. Besides, even if I had an extra one, I still couldn't send you home."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we sealed the Ryumyaku at the last second before this place would have been destroyed. If we remove that kunai for even a second, Rouran is done for. We would have to wait for the Ryumyaku to stabilize again, before messing with the seal."

"How long will that take?"

"Based on how large the Ryumyaku is, it would take about eighteen years."

"By that point, there will no point in fixing the seal."

"Exactly. So, what are you going to do, Naruto?"

"Well, I can't return to Konoha. Considering I grew up there, just my presence could cause major changes to my timeline. It will be safer for me to stay here in Rouran, which will be destroyed during this war. After that, it'll be easy for me to stay out of history's way."

Minato nods his head. "Also, to ensure minimum damage to the timeline, I'm going to seal the memories of these events from our memories, except for you and Sara. It would be suspicious if there's a stranger in orange wandering around Rouran. With the queen vouching for you, there will be no opposition to you being here."

"Before we do that, I will need to return to Konoha for one last thing."

"What's that?"

"Considering that I'll be here for the next twenty years, I may grow to love it here. In my time, there are people, who upon discovering this, would do everything in their power to have me marked as a missing nin. The Hokage would have no choice but to do so. I need to fill out an official resignation document. After the document is filled out and hidden somewhere safe, we can erase the memories of the Third Hokage."

Minato nods his head. "Okay, I'll wait to erase our memories until after we get back. Until then, no one is to mention these events to anyone. Is that clear?"

Everyone nods in agreement. Naruto then realizes something important. "How are we supposed to get back across with no bridge?"

On the other side, Shibi sighs, before summoning his bugs to transport the group back across the pit. Upon reaching the other side, Naruto turns to Sara. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

Sara smiles. "Okay."

Naruto smiles and then leaves with Minato's team, heading for Konoha. Sara turns to the citizens of Rouran.

"We've entered some rough times and there will be more rough times ahead, due to the war, but I promise as queen to get us all through it! And soon we will have a ninja who will stay with us to ensure it!"

The people cheer and follow Sara as she leads them back above ground, ready to get their lives back to normal.

*Scene Change*

Minato's team has arrived in Konoha. (Naruto took off his headband on the way, so no questions would be asked.) The team are walking to the Hokage tower, when Naruto is hugged from behind.

"Minato!"

Minato laughs at the sight of his girlfriend Kushina, hugging his future son. Oh yes, he figured that out. He could see himself in Naruto. He also had a pretty good suspicion as to who Naruto's mother was.

"Kushina, I'm over here. You hugged my friend, Naruto."

Kushina's eyes widen before quickly letting go of Naurto. She scratches the back of her head nervously. "I'm sorry. From the back you looked just like him."

"I know. It's the hair." Naruto also scratches the back of his head in the exact same manner as Kushina. Minato smiles, as he's very certain that his guess of the identity of Naruto's mother is right.

"Well, we need to report to the Hokage, Kushina. I'll see you later."

"Wait, let her come with us. There is actually something I want to say to her beforehand."

Minato glares at Naruto. "Didn't you say something about staying out of history's way?"

"Considering what you're going to do after this, it doesn't really matter what I say, doesn't it?"

Kushina looks at the two in confusion. Minato sighs. "Very well. Come on, Kushina."

The group walk the rest of the way to the Hokage's office. Naruto smiles at seeing a younger Hiruzen Sarutobi behind the desk.

"Welcome back. Why is Kushina here and who is this young man?"

"Put up the seals Lord Hokage. What we have to say is very dangerous info."

The Hokage nods his head as he activates the seals set up around the office, ensuring that no one outside the office can hear anything inside.

Naruto clears his throat. "To start off, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I am a ninja of Konoha from twenty years into the future, who is now stuck here in the past. I am the son of the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki."

Everyone's mouths drop open, except for Naruto and Minato.

Kushina is the first to recover. "You're my son?"

Naruto faces her. "Yeah, where do you think I get my awesome personality and dress sense from?"

Kushina looks down at her orange outfit before looking back at Naruto. She looks deep into his eyes and sees the truth of what he said. Tears trickle out of both their eyes as she pulls him into a hug. "It's amazing. I'll have a son! I probably spoil you rotten in the future, don't I?"

Naruto freezes for a few seconds, but everyone notices it. Minato speaks up. "Kushina is dead in your time, isn't she?"

"As are you, Dad. You both die the day I'm born, when the Kyuubi is yanked out of Mom's body and eventually is placed inside me."

Naruto lifts up his shirt and wills to seal to appear. Kushina steps back in horror, seeing that her son will suffer the fate of a Jinchuriki.

"I grew up as an orphan, hated and shunned by the people of Konoha, with a few exceptions, until I eventually became a ninja. I didn't know anything about my parents, or the fact I contained the Kyuubi. Speaking of being a ninja, that's why I'm here."

The Hokage looks at him. "Do you want to be listed as a ninja in this time?"

"No, I want to preserve the timeline. I'm actually here to fill out a resignation document, so that I can't be listed as a missing nin in the future, in case if by the time I get back to my time, I choose to stay with the people of Rouran."

The Hokage nods his head. "Considering that you're the Jinchuriki in your time, you'll need some sort of insurance that any person with power in Konoha can't do anything against you legally. Very well I'll help you. Then we'll lock the document in my vault."

"Lord Hokage, if I might suggest something. I can seal the file containing the document with a blood seal. That way, only a relative of me can open the file."

The Hokage nods at Minato. "That's a good idea. There's one more problem. Naruto has told us all too much. How can we ensure that things will happen as they did before?"

"I created a seal that will erase certain memories from people's minds. I'll erase all our memories of this conversation and everything we learned about Naruto."

Hiruzen nods his head. "Very well, that will work."

Minato turns to Naruto. "There is one last question I have to ask."

"What is it?"

"If the knowledge of us being your parents was kept from you, how did you find out?"

"There was an incident in the future, where I nearly succumbed to the Kyuubi. However, you thought ahead and created a fail-safe in the seal. When I entered the eight-tailed state, you appeared in my mindscape. You revealed to me that you were my dad and restored the seal. After that, I revealed to the Hokage of my time of what happened and she granted me access to both of your files, deciding that it was time I learned everything about both of you."

Minato nods his head in understanding as Hiruzen pulls out the needed documents.

"Here you are. Just fill it out and I will sign it."

Naruto fills out the documents and the Hokage places it in a file. Minato applies the blood seal.

"There. Now, I'll put this in my vault and then I'll meet you all outside the village, where we'll go through with the memory seal. Cause if we do it here, it'll be harder for you to leave, Naruto."

Naruto nods his head and the group leaves the office and walks out of the same gate they came in. About ten minutes later, the Hokage joins them.

Minato speaks up. "Right. Now, this seal will lock up the memories of what happened. All that we will remember is that some memories are locked up and that it is important that they stay locked up. Naruto, I'll need you to stand over there, so that you aren't accidentally caught in this."

Naruto nods his head and stands a certain distance away from them.

"Wait!"

Kushina quickly runs over to Naruto to hug him one last time.

"Be safe, my son. I wish I could have been with you as you grew up."

"I wish it too. But it just can't be, no matter how much we both want it. I love both you and Dad so much."

"I love you too."

Kushina kisses him on the cheek, before she backs away, into the range of the seal.

Minato slams his hand on the ground. "Wipe out."

The seal appears, encompassing the whole group, except for Naruto. Kushina is crying as she looks at her future son.

Naruto smiles at his parents. "Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad. I'll miss both of you."

Naruto turns and quickly runs away, not daring to look back to see his mother's crying face. The seal glows. There is a bright flash of light and the seal fades away.

Kushina looks confused. "What are we doing here and why am I crying?"

Minato ponders. "Hmm, I seem to have used my Memory Erasing Seal. I must have sealed away some dangerous memories. There's no other reason I would use it."

Hiruzen sighs. "Well, there's no point in wondering about it. We should all get back to our lives."

The group all turn to leave except for Minato, who is walking over to the crying Kushina.

"What's wrong, Kushina?"

"I don't know, Minato. I just feel like I've lost something. Something very important. I also got this feeling that something really bad is going to happen."

Minato pulls Kushina into a hug, comforting her. The two stand there for a while, before eventually walking back into the village.

*Scene Change*

Sara has returned to her throne room, when she hears the door open. She turns to see that Naruto has walked in.

"Oh, Naruto! You're back! Well, the first thing we should do is-"

She trails off, noticing that Naruto isn't looking at her.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto looks up at her. She gasps as she can see that he is crying. She then moves forward and pulls him into a hug, giving him the shoulder he desperately needs right now.

**Vanex: _Well, that's it for this chapter. I had to give Naruto a moment with his parents. If I didn't, you all would have probably hated me. Next chapter, we return to the present, as Naruto takes care of his last few affairs with Konoha, before returning to Rouran. See you all then!_**


	4. Chapter 3

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here is the next chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 3**

"_So Naruto, I assume that you and Kushina are going to return to Rouran, to rebuild it?"_

"_Yes. I'm sorry Tsunade. But Rouran is my home now. Once I do a few more things here, I will depart."_

"_I'll have to announce to the village what happened to you."_

"_Be careful when you do that. While the ninjas and some of the civilians have accepted me and see me as a hero, most of the civilians still think I'm a demon. They'll won't take the fact I'm married to a queen and legally free of Konoha very well. They may try to have me killed."_

"_I'll do whatever I can to stop them. Goodbye Naruto. I'll miss you."_

"_I'll miss you too, Granny Tsunade."_

_Instead of being angry as she usually is upon hearing that, she chuckles instead, knowing it's the last time she'll ever hear that. Naruto hands her his headband, and then turns and leaves the vault with Kushina._

The Uzumaki duo walk down towards Ichiraku Ramen, having gone to both Naruto's apartment and the Namikaze estate to get some important scrolls as well as personal items. With these items sealed in another scroll, they both wanted a last helping of ramen, before leaving.

"It's hard being here, Naruto. Every time I look at something, I think of that night. The night that you and your father condemned yourself to being the third host."

"It had to happen Mom. It's a very vital part of my life. Being the host shaped me into the person I am. It also allowed me to touch others, like my friend Gaara."

"Yes, you told me about him. The Kazekage."

"Yes. Imagine if I had never changed him. He would have remained a psycho. He would probably be dead right now, cause no one would have wanted to rescue him from the Akatsuki, or he might have been killed in the attempted Oto/Suna invasion during the Chunin Exams. It's impossible to tell."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry, Naruto. Even now, I still feel a little anger at you, for condemning your infant self and denying me the chance to raise him."

"I had no choice. I had a wife and daughter to think about. I couldn't sacrifice my daughter's existence, just to make my life better."

"She might have still come to be."

"There is no proof of that! There was no way for me to predict how much would have changed if I hadn't become the third host and an orphan!"

"I know. I've accepted that. I just, can't stop lamenting that I never got to watch you as you grew up. Twenty years with you, stolen away."

Naruto's eyes soften as he looks at his mother. He pulls her into a hug. The two stand in the street for a few minutes, having a mother-son moment, before pulling away.

"Now then, we better get going to Ichiraku Ramen. That ramen is calling my name!"

Naruto dashes off towards the ramen shop, leaving a laughing Kushina to follow him, enjoying the fact that he inherited her love of ramen.

Ten minutes later...

Teuchi smiles at the big wad of cash in his head. Ayame doesn't pay attention to the money, as she's busy sweatdropping at the piles of bowls behind the Uzumaki duo.

"It'll take me forever to wash all these bowls."

Naruto gives a nervous grin. "Sorry, Ayame. But this is the last time I'll be able to stop in for a long while, so I wanted to have as much as I could."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out everything from the Hokage, soon. But now I have to say goodbye."

"What?"

Naruto turns at the voice, seeing that both Team 8 and Team 10, including their senseis, are standing outside the stand looking in surprise at Naruto. The one who had spoken was Kiba.

"I can't stay here anymore."

"What do you mean, Naruto? And why are you so much older?"

"To put it bluntly, on my last mission I got sent twenty years back in time with no way to return to the present, except living those twenty years. I'm now a married man with a daughter. I have to look out for my family."

Hinata's eyes widen at the statement of Naruto being married to someone else, before she turns and runs off. Naruto is about to run after her, when he is stopped by Ino asking another question.

"Why can't you and your family live here?"

"Cause my family is the royal family of the now being rebuilt Rouran. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Hinata."

Naruto quickly runs off after Hinata. The others watch him go and then turn to face Kushina. Kurenai's eyes widen upon recognizing her.

"You're the wife of the Fourth Hokage, aren't you?"

"That's right. Kushina Uzumaki's the name."

This surprises everyone. Ino's the one to speak the question on their minds. "Uzumaki? As in Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yep. I'm his mother!"

This causes everyone's mouths to drop open. Choji is the first to recover. "Then where have you been all his life?"

"With the older Naruto and the people of Rouran. Naruto wanted to make sure that his childhood happened exactly as it had before."

"Impossible."

Everyone looks at Kurenai as she continues. "You were listed as dead! How are you alive?"

"Naruto saved me and brought me to my daughter-in-law and granddaughter, where I've been until today. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I better go catch up with Naruto."

Kushina walks away, leaving the whole group standing there.

*Scene Change*

Naruto rushes into one of the training grounds. He stops for a moment and hears the sound of crying. He follows the sound to it's source, who is sitting by a stream.

"Hinata."

Hinata doesn't move when Naruto calls her name.

"Hinata, I'm sorry. But there was no way I could be with you, when I'm twenty years in the past."

"I know."

Naruto is surprised that Hinata responded.

"It hurts. It hurts that I can never be with you, that we can never get married or start a family together. Just, tell me one thing. Are you happy with your wife?"

Naruto answers without hesitation. "Yes."

"As long as you're happy, I can let you go. I'll move on and hopefully find someone else. Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Never lose that happiness. You've deserved to be happy for a long time."

Naruto pulls out a picture from his pocket and hands it to Hinata. She looks at the photo.

"Is that your wife and daughter?"

"That's right. My wife Sara, and my daughter Hitomi."

"They look beautiful."

"I know. Hinata, there's one last thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Well, when Hitomi was born, I listed you as her godmother."

Hinata's eyes widen as Naruto continues talking.

"Of all my friends, you would be the first I would ever consider to be my child's godmother. I don't know Ino or Tenten as well as I know you. Sakura isn't even an option. Are you okay with being the godmother of Hitomi?"

"Of course! I'd love to be her godmother! Just make sure I get a chance to visit her!"

"Thank you Hinata, you have no idea how much this means to me."

Hinata hugs Naruto and gives him back his picture.

"This is goodbye, Hinata. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine. It'll take a little time, but I'll be fine."

Naruto smiles and then turns to join Kushina, who caught up with them two minutes ago.

"Goodbye, Hinata. Have a happy life."

"You too, Naruto."

Naruto and Kushina leave. Hinata stares after them, before turning to head back to join her team.

*Scene Change*

Naruto and Kushna have reached the gates and are about to leave, when a voice stops them.

"Are you going to leave without saying goodbye to me, Naruto?"

The two turn to see Kakashi leaning against the gate.

"Yo."

"Kakashi-sensei. I thought you were on a mission."

"I was, but now I'm back."

"Kakashi? You're still wearing that mask?"

"Hey, don't make fun of my mask! So what if I like wearing masks?"

"Considering that you aren't surprised that my mom is alive, I assume Tsunade told you?"

"That's right. I'm here to see you both off. Goodbye Naruto, hopefully we'll meet again someday."

"I'm sure we will, Kakashi-sensei. Goodbye."

Kakashi waves to Naruto and Kushina as they walk out the gates, heading for Rouran.

A few hours later...

Everyone is gathered outside the Hokage tower, waiting to hear Tsunade's announcement. Their attention is drawn to the roof, where Tsunade is standing, looking down at them all.

"People of Konoha. On Team Kakashi's most recent mission Naruto Uzumaki got sent twenty years back in time. He lived out those twenty years, and he's gotten married to the queen of the rebuilding city of Rouran. He is no longer a shinobi of Konoha, and is no longer living within its walls."

Those that see Naruto as a hero are silent, saddened by the fact that Naruto is no longer one of them. The remaining Naruto haters start shouting out.

"Declare war on Rouran!"

"Make that demon loving city suffer!"

Tsunade reacts in anger. "Silence! How dare you say things like that! We will not declare war on our allies!"

"Since when were they allies?" shouts a random villager.

"Rouran is a city in Kaze no Kuni, which we are allied with! They are under the protection of the Wind Daimyo and the Kazekage! To declare war with Rouran is to declare war with Sunagakure!"

The two Elders walk out of the crowd and jump up to where Tsuande is.

Homura speaks first. "Lady Hokage, since Naruto Uzumaki is still listed as a Konoha shinobi, we have to demand that you either force him to return, or mark him as a missing nin."

"I can't do either. Naruto filled out a resignation document twenty years ago and it was officially signed by the Third Hokage."

She shows them the document.

"He is well within his rights to leave. We can't do anything legally to bring him back."

Koharu looks angry. "Why would you let the Jinchuriki go? Now he is no longer under our power! What's to stop him from turning against us and killing us all?"

"Like I said before, he is a part of Rouran, who are allies with us. He is still allied to Konoha and will defend us if we should ever need his help. If you two are done whining, my announcement is done and everyone is dismissed."

Tsunade and the people who view Naruto as a hero all leave. The Elders join the people who hate Naruto.

"What do we do now, Great Elders? The demon is a bigger threat then ever! If only he didn't go back in time!"

Homura gets an idea. "Maybe that's the solution. We can't do anything to him in the present, but if we could find out how he traveled in time, we could do something to him in the past."

"So, we'll kill him in the past?"

Koharu speaks up. "No, we need his powers. We need him under our control, especially in the upcoming war with the remaining members of the Akatsuki. If only Danzo were still alive. He would have been able to deal with this."

"So, pull him out of the past and into the present. That will undo his marriage to the queen and the resignation document. He'll be a part of Konoha again, as he should be."

The group turns to see the speaker.

Homura regards the speaker with a questioning eyebrow. "Why would you help us? You don't hate him like we do, Sakura Haruno."

"I know," says Sakura, "but he does not belong there with that whore of a queen. I want my Naruto back, no matter what it takes."

**Vanex: _Uh oh! Sakura is conspiring with the Naruto haters to pull Naruto out of the past. Will they succeed in pulling the sixteen-year-old Naruto out of Rouran's past? Or will the thirty six-year-old Naruto stop them? You'll find out eventually. Next chapter, we return to the past, as Naruto tries to get used to living in Rouran, while beginning his preparations for its eventual destruction. See you __all next time!_**


	5. Chapter 4

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here is the next chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 4**

_Sara has returned to her throne room, when she hears the door open. She turns to see that Naruto has walked in._

"_Oh, Naruto! You're back! Well, the first thing we should do is-"_

_She trails off, noticing that Naruto isn't looking at her._

"_What's wrong, Naruto?"_

_Naruto looks up at her. She gasps as she can see that he is crying. She then moves forward and pulls him into a hug, giving him the shoulder he desperately needs right now._

One week later...

Sara smiles as she looks over her city, looking at how happy her citizens are, now that they have their lives back to normal. She walks back into the palace and heads to her office, sighing. The pile of paperwork is there, waiting for her.

"I wish there was a way to avoid paperwork! I swear, it's the bane of all rulers!"

In every other place that has a king, queen, or kage, that person sneezes.

"How do they expect me to get all of this done?"

Sara sighs as she starts her paperwork. She thinks back over on everything that has happened over the last few years. Ankrozan's, er, Mukade's arrival, her mother's murder, Mukade's manipulations, the reports of the start of the Third Shinobi War, the people being switched with puppets and being forced to work for Mukade, Naruto's arrival in Rouran, which results in her people being saved and Mukade being defeated.

She smiles when she thinks of Naruto, of how he inspired her to stand up for herself and be a queen for the people, of how handsome he is, of how she can get lost in those blue eyes.

She blushes, realizing that she does find Naruto attractive. Then again, there is something about him, something infectious that seems to draw her in.

"_Well, he is around my age. Maybe I could date him. I do want to get to know him better."_

She smiles as she rings a bell near her desk. One of her attendants comes in.

"Yes, my queen?"

"Could you summon Naruto to my office, please?"

"Of course, my queen." The attendant leaves the room.

Sara continues her paperwork, as she waits for Naruto's arrival. The minutes pass by.

"You needed me for something?"

Sara looks up to see Naruto leaning in her doorway.

"Hello, Naruto. How are you adjusting to living in Rouran?"

Naruto grins. "I'm doing okay!"

However, Sara can see through Naruto's false grin. "Don't lie to me, Naruto. I know you're not as okay as you let on."

Naruto's smiles crumbles. He sighs. "It's harder than I thought it was going to be. Every time I sleep, I dream of Konoha. The people I left behind. I miss all my friends, more than I thought I would."

Naruto looks down at the floor, thinking of all of them, when he suddenly feels a pair of arms wrap around him. He looks up in surprise to see Sara hugging him.

"It has to be hard for you, being stuck here. But don't worry, you'll see them all again one day. They aren't going anywhere. Here, you need something to take your mind off of them."

"Like what?"

"Well, after I'm done with my paperwork for the day, you can take me out."

Naruto blushes. "What, on a date?"

"Yes, a date. I want to get to know you better. What's wrong? Are you afraid to date the queen?"

Naruto doesn't catch the teasing tone in her voice. "No, that's not it!"

"What is it, then? Aren't I attractive to you?"

"Yes! Er, no! Er, I mean yes!" Naruto keeps tripping over his own words. The truth is, he does find her attractive. She is very beautiful, with her flowing red hair and her violet eyes that entice him.

Sara giggles. "I'm just teasing you, Naruto. I just want to get to know you better. Maybe it'll lead to somewhere, maybe it won't. Who knows?"

"Okay. I'll take you out."

"Good. Don't bother getting all dressed up or anything. This is a casual date. At the rate I'm going, I'll be done around six. So, come back to this room to pick me up at around six-thirty, okay Naruto?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now that that's settled, how long do we have until Rouran is destroyed?"

"We have about a year, before then."

"Good. As soon as we can, we need to make our plans for evacuating the people, safely. We can start tomorrow."

"Tomorrow sounds good." Naruto gets up to leave.

"See you for our date, Naruto."

"See you."

Naruto leaves the office. He sighs, thinking about his upcoming date. What if it does lead somewhere? Won't he be betraying Sakura and Hinata? He thinks of both of them. Sakura, who he's had a crush on since they were at the academy. Hinata, the girl who had a crush on him since they were at the academy. How can he turn his back on them?

"**Kit."**

Naruto jumps in surprise. "Kyuubi? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"**That's because I've been sleeping. It helps with passing the time in this cage your father put me in. Anyway, you've forgotten something."**

"And what is that?"

"**By the time you get back to your present, you'll be twenty years older than you were. You'll be too old for either of those two women. They are no longer an option for you."**

Naruto realizes the Kyuubi is right. It'll be impossible for him to pursue a relationship with either of them now.

"**You have to let go of them, Naruto. You need to move on."**

"Maybe you're right, Kyuubi. I have to move on." He thinks of the two again. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm sorry, Hinata." He looks back in the direction of Sara's office. "Maybe, if the date leads somewhere, I don't think I'll mind. A relationship with Sara, doesn't really sound that bad."

Naruto smiles as he starts walking again, before stopping. "Wait a minute, since when did you start to give me helpful advice, Kyuubi?"

"**It doesn't matter, Kit. Go do whatever it is you have to do. I'm going back to sleep."**

Naruto shrugs as he continues walking. He decides to head outside Rouran to do some training. He'll need to be on the top of his game for when the destruction of Rouran comes.

The hours pass, until it's finally time for his date with Sara. Naruto returns to her office, where she is waiting for him. "Ready, Sara?"

"Ready, Naruto."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Oh, there's a restaurant on the west end of town. It's my favorite restaurant in Rouran."

Naruto, trying to be polite, holds out his arm. Sara wraps her arm around his and allows him to escort her to the restaurant.

**Vanex: _When we next return to the past, we will see Naruto and Sara's date. But for now, we return to the present, as Naruto and Kushina rejoin Sara and Hitomi in Rouran. See you all next time!_**


	6. Chapter 5

**Vanex: _Hello all! I realized something important. I have no idea what Naruto's king outfit will look like. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. It'll still be some time before the outfit will appear, as Rouran is still in ruins. In fact, I wasn't clear before, but Naruto and Sara are wearing simple traveling clothes at this point in time. When Rouran is fully rebuilt, they'll switch to the royal outfits. I hope I know what Naruto's outfit will be by then. With that out of the way, it's on to Chapter 5!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 5**

"_What do we do now, Great Elders? The demon is a bigger threat then ever! If only he didn't go back in time!"_

_Homura gets an idea. "Maybe that's the solution. We can't do anything to him in the present, but if we could find out how he traveled in time, we could do something to him in the past."_

"_So, we'll kill him in the past?"_

_Koharu speaks up. "No, we need his powers. We need him under our control, especially in the upcoming war with the remaining members of the Akatsuki. If only Danzo were still alive. He would have been able to deal with this."_

"_So, pull him out of the past and into the present. That will undo his marriage to the queen and the resignation document. He'll be a part of Konoha again, as he should be."_

_The group turns to see the speaker._

_Homura regards the speaker with a questioning eyebrow. "Why would you help us? You don't hate him like we do, Sakura Haruno."_

"_I know," says Sakura, "but he does not belong there with that whore of a queen. I want my Naruto back, no matter what it takes."_

Sara smiles at the approaching group of ninja and civilians from Suna. She walks forward to greet a familiar red-head. "Lord Kazekage."

He nods at here. "Lady Sara. So, it's finally time for this city to be rebuilt."

"Yes. We're just waiting for Naruto and Kushina to return from Konoha."

Gaara nods, before looking at the ruins. "I heard the stories about this place. About how beautiful it was."

Sara smiles sadly. "Yes, it was so beautiful. I never really appreciated it, until the night Naruto proposed to me."

"From what I've heard, Naruto got the whole town involved in that."

"Yes. He always finds a way to pull off something amazing. I don't know where I would be without him in my life."

"You really love him. I can see it in your eyes."

She smiles. "I can't see how any girl can't fall in love with him. With his cheerful personality and his desire to protect this world, even though it wronged him. Even with what darkness there is in his soul, it doesn't affect the purity of it at all. He's a one of a kind guy, and I'm very lucky to be able to stand at his side, as his wife and the mother of his child."

"Yo!"

Sara smiles as both she and Gaara turn to see Naruto and Kushina walk up. Naruto quickly pulls Sara into a one minute lip lock, before turning to Gaara while keeping an arm wrapped around his wife.

"Gaara! It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Naruto."

Sara smiles. "No matter what, you two will never be formal with each other, will you?"

Naruto smiles at her. "Never."

Gaara nods in agreement.

Sara sighs. "Well, it's time to unseal the Ryumyaku, isn't it?"

Gaara is confused. "Why do you need to unseal it?"

Naruto looks at him. "You don't know? Well, tell me, how was Rouran built originally? Especially with all those really tall buildings."

Gaara's eyes widen in understanding. "The Ryumyaku."

"Exactly. The civilians and ninja will clear the ruins and build the foundations for every building in Rouran. They'll also fully build the smaller buildings, but the larger ones will be done via the power of the Ryumyaku. However, unlike last time, my mother and I will be putting extra security around the interfaces to the Ryumyaku. The result will be that only people we want to access the Ryumyaku will be able to access it."

Gaara nods. "A wise precaution. I have one other question, Naruto. What about the prisoner?"

Naruto's eyes darken at the mention of the prisoner. "Not yet. It's not time yet."

Gaara nods. "I was surprised when I found out about this person being in my prison. Then again, she was put in there before I was even born."

Naruto nods. "Though, that does remind me of something else I need to do after the Ryumyaku is unsealed."

"Which is?"

Naruto and Sara look at each other. "You'll see, Gaara. Come on, let's head to the chamber of the Ryumyaku."

*Scene Change*

Naruto, Sara, Hitomi, Kushina, and Gaara arrive in the chamber of the Ryumyaku. Sara looks at the destroyed bridge. "Great. We have to rebuild this bridge a second time."

Naruto chuckles nervously. "Sorry, dear."

Gaara summons his sand, transporting them all to the interface, where the Flying Thunder God kunai is still imbedded in it.

Naruto approaches it. "Here we go." He grabs the kunai. "Release!" He pulls the kunai out. The seal glows for a few seconds before fading away. The whole room glows as a familiar purple ooze appears below them.

"Wait," says Sara as she observes the Ryumyaku. She watches the ooze flow for a minute, before nodding. "Yes. It's stable again."

"Good. Sara, I need your help with this next part."

Sara nods as she steps up to the interface. Naruto pulls out an envelope and lays it on the interface.

"What's that?" asks Gaara.

"A message to someone important in the past. It's vital that he gets it," says Naruto as he starts doing handsigns. Naruto touches the interface and it begins to glow. Sara then places her hands on it and begins to concentrate. A column of light emerges from the interface and consumes the envelope. When the light fades away, the envelope is gone.

"That takes care of that."

"What exactly did you do?" asks Gaara.

"Well, I triggered the Ryumyaku to transport the envelope to the exact time and place I wanted it to go. Sara made sure we weren't pulled back in time along with the envelope."

Gaara nods in understanding.

"Now then, the first thing to do is rebuild this bridge." Naruto touches the interface again, drawing power from the Ryumyaku. He then walks over to the end of the bridge, does some handsigns and slams his hands down on the ground beneath him. The end of the bridge begins to glow and a light shoots from it to the other side, making a bridge of light. Something appears in the light, stretching from one side to the other. The light fades to reveal that the bridge is fully restored.

"It's one thing to hear the stories of the power of the Ryumyaku. It's another thing entirely to see it," says Gaara.

Naruto nods to the others. "You guys go ahead. My mom and I better get to work on the security seals."

Sara, Hitomi, and Gaara leave the room. Naruto and Kushina start drawing out the new security seals.

*Scene Change*

In the Sunagakure prison, in the solitary confinement area, a guard approaches the door, food tray in hand. He opens the door and steps inside. The prisoner doesn't move from her position.

"Good news, prisoner. Your time with us is almost over. Within the next week or so, you'll be transferred to Konoha, to stand trial for your crime."

The prisoner doesn't respond.

"Anyway, it's feeding time again. So, here's your food. I'll be back for the tray later." The guard steps out of the cell and locks it.

The prisoner moves over to the food tray and starts eating the food. _"I've been in here for twenty years now. Everything is coming full circle. Everything will remain wrong forever and there's nothing I can do to put it right. All because I failed. All because I was weak."_

*Scene Change*

A man wearing a cloak is collecting something from a secret grave. "Yes. With this, I can convince him to agree to an alliance. Now to make my preparations for my negotiations with him." Kabuto laughs as he leaves the area.

*Scene Change*

A man wearing an orange spiral mask looks at his subordinate. "Is this true?"

"Yes," says Zetsu. "It has been confirmed. The person who has been the king of Rouran for almost twenty years, is indeed Naruto Uzumaki. During his last mission, he was transported twenty years back in time."

"He managed to avoid being noticed by me during that time. Staying with the people of Rouran, who have been wandering around Kaze no Kuni ever since the destruction of their great city. It was a clever move on his part. I never would have batted an eyelid at them, as they are so insignificant, making it the perfect hiding place for a Jinchuriki."

"What should we do?"

"We'll proceed as planned. In the meantime, I think I'll pay a visit to Rouran. I'm curious to see how much Naruto has changed in the last twenty years."

Zetsu nods in understanding, before leaving the room. The masked man looks back up at the statue. _"Soon, the last two Tailed Beasts will be mine. Nothing can stop me from achieving my goals. But now, I think I'll let Sasuke know what's happened to his former best friend."_

*Scene Change*

Naruto smiles as he and Kushina leave the chamber, having set up the security seals. "That takes care of that."

Kushina nods. "Yes. And everyone has set up everything from the caravans. I think the people are looking forward to the return of the city."

Naruto nods in agreement. The people notice the two approaching and greet them with smiles. Naruto stretches his arms. "Anyway, it's getting late, so I'm going to retire for the evening."

"Right," says Kushina, "I'll see you in the morning."

Naruto waves to her as she enters her tent. He heads in the direction of the royal tent, but stops when he looks at a particular group of tents. He crosses over to one of the tents and taps the side. The tent is opened and a black-haired woman sticks her head out. "Oh, Naruto! Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just came over to check on you and the others. Are you sure you guys don't want your own district, this time?"

"It's a unanimous decision, Naruto. Our isolation was what led to those events in the first place. We want to be spread out through the city. We want to feel like we're a part of the city, instead of feeling like we're a plague."

"I understand. Is everyone comfortable with becoming part of Rouran?"

"Completely comfortable, Naruto. Don't worry. There won't be any sudden uprisings or anything like that. Those responsible for what happened the last time all died. My first son saw to that."

Naruto nods. "Very well."

"Naruto, I have one request."

"What is it?"

"When you do confront Sasuke in the future, I'd like to be there. I need to try to save him from the darkness. Give me that one chance."

"I understand." Naruto turns to leave. "Have a good night, godmother."

"You too, Naruto."

The woman sticks her head back in and closes the tent. Naruto heads over to the royal tent. He crawls inside and smiles at the sight of Sara in her nightgown, lying in their shared sleeping bag.

She smiles when she sees him come in. "Hey there. Care to join me?"

Naruto smiles as he changes into his sleepwear and crawls into the sleeping bag, wrapping his arms around his wife. Sara giggles as Naruto kisses the back of her neck. She turns around to face him and the two kiss each other. "How was your trip to Konoha?"

"It went better than I thought it would. The Hokage let me go and everyone seemed to handle the news well. I also got Hinata to agree with being Hitomi's godmother."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yes. With the restoration of Rouran, and a few small things that still have to play out, all that's left is to deal with Madara and Sasuke. The war is coming. I can't stop it from happening, but I will do whatever I can to make sure it is the final war. I will do what I can to bring peace."

Sara smiles. "I know you will, Naruto. I believe in you. I've always believed in you and will always believe in you. You will stop that madman, Madara Uchiha."

Naruto kisses Sara again, as they both get more comfortable in their embrace and drift off to sleep.

*Scene Change*

Sasuke is sitting on his bed listening to what Madara is telling him. "Naruto is a king now?"

"Yes, and has been for years. In fact, I'm planning on paying him a visit. Who knows what he's been up to over the last twenty years."

Sasuke sneers. "It doesn't matter. He's still nothing more than a dead-last and I will show him the wrath of the Uchiha, when I crush him!"

"Ome more thing, Sasuke. Naruto was sent back in time."

"So what?"

"He was sent back to a point before the Uchiha Massacre. He could have done something to prevent it, but didn't lift a finger."

This catches Sasuke's attention. "What?"

"You heard me, Sasuke. Naruto willingly let the Uchiha get slaughtered."

Sasuke growls. "Konoha can wait for a while. Naruto comes first! He will pay for not doing anything to save the Uchiha!"

The masked man smirks as he leaves the room, having accomplished his goal of getting Sasuke to focus more hatred against Naruto. "Now then, it's time for me to pay that visit. What kind of person have you become, Naruto Uzumaki? Do you still have the Senju's Will of Fire?"

**Vanex: _Whew. Another chapter done. Now, more questions have been raised. What was the message Naruto sent back in time? Who did he send it to? Who is the prisoner in Suna's custody? Who is the woman Naruto called his godmother? You guys have probably figured out the last two. Also, I'll say this again. Any suggestions on what Naruto's king outfit should look like will be greatly appreciated. Next time, we return to the past, where Naruto and Sara go out on their first date. See you then!_**


	7. Chapter 6

**Vanex: _Hello all! Sorry I haven't updated for a while. There are some video games I'm looking forward to. Games like Mass Effect 3, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, etc. I recently was able to get Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 again, and I've been playing the games, so that I'm ready for Mass Effect 3 when it comes out later this year. I've also been playing Star Trek Online, a free MMO. It's awesome!_**

_**Also, I've only gotten three suggestions for Naruto's king outfit. There's still time for you guys to submit more ideas. Seriously, what outfit would the King of Rouran wear?**_

_**By the way, for those of you who watch the subbed episodes like me, I have only one question. How many of you were crying by the end of Episode 249? I was. And it doesn't happen often. (Sob.)**_

_**Anyway, I've been asked to save Minato, considering I saved Kushina. Unfortunately, I can't see how I can do it. For Naruto, becoming the Kyubi Jinchuriki and growing up as an orphan are kind of like fixed points in time. They MUST always happen. They were two major factors in shaping Naruto into the person we know and love. Naruto can't predict what will happen if the event is changed.**_

_**One last thing. A bunch of you also submitted guesses to the answers of the questions from the last chapter. I will tell you guys that only one person submitted a guess for all four questions AND got them all right! Congrats to that person for being as perceptive as you are! You know who you are, as I told you that you were right. Everyone else either guessed on all four and got some wrong, or only guessed on some of them, and either got them right or wrong. Now then, on to the chapter!**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 6**

_The hours pass, until it's finally time for his date with Sara. Naruto returns to her office, where she is waiting for him. "Ready, Sara?"_

"_Ready, Naruto."_

"_Where do you want to go?"_

"_Oh, there's a restaurant on the west end of town. It's my favorite restaurant in Rouran."_

_Naruto, trying to be polite, holds out his arm. Sara wraps her arm around his and allows him to escort her to the restaurant._

While on the outside, Naruto looks calm and collected, on the inside he's sweating bullets. Then again, this is the first date he's ever been on, and it's with a queen of all people!

While they are walking there, Naruto can see the people looking at the two of them in surprise and curiosity. He can hear them whispering to each other.

"Is that the queen?"

"Who's that guy she's with?"

"Isn't he that Konoha ninja who helped us?"

"Are the two on a date?"

"The queen is dating someone?"

They reach the restaurant and walk inside, where they are greeted by one of the people working there.

"Welcome to the Desert Oasis. How can I help- Lady Sara!"

Sara smiles at the woman. "A table for two, please."

The woman quickly grabs two menus. "Right away, milady! This way!"

The woman leads them two a table. "Right. Your waiter will be here shortly. Enjoy your time here!" She runs off, probably to tell everyone that the queen is in the restaurant.

Sara sighs. "There are times where being a queen can get annoying."

Naruto smiles as he opens the menu, looking for something to order.

Sara grumbles as she opens her menu. It doesn't take long for the waiter to arrive. "Welcome to the Desert Oasis, milady and guest. I will be your waiter for this evening. Can I get anything for you two to drink?"

The two order their drinks and it doesn't take long for them to arrive. Sara sighs, but then she notices something."You're laughing behind that menu."

"Well, I'm enjoying the fact that I'm not royalty like you."

Sara knows he's only teasing, so she decides to have some fun. She waits until he starts to take a drink. "Well, I could always have you marry me, thus making you royalty."

Naruto does a spit-take, before he starts sputtering. "Marry? But- But-"

Sara giggles. "I'm just teasing you, Naruto. I must say, it's easy to make you nervous."

Naruto grumbles at how she tricked him, before going back to the menu.

The waiter soon returns. Have you made your decisions on your meal?"

Both of them nod and hand him their menus. They tell him their orders and he rushes off to the kitchen.

Sara looks at Naruto. "So, you know about me Naruto. But, I don't know a thing about you. If we are going to be spending time together, it's only fair that you tell me about yourself."

Naruto nods. "That's true. But you might want to get some tissues before I start."

Sara looks confused. "Why?"

"You'll be crying long before I reach the end."

Five minutes later...

Sara blows her nose in one of the tissues as tears keep sliding down her face. "How could they treat you like that?"

"Because they can't tell the difference between a prisoner and a prison." Naruto sighs. _'I didn't even get to my days in the Academy before she broke down. That's a new record.'_

Sara wipes away her tears. "That is just so wrong, though. How were they able to get away with it? Didn't the Hokage do anything?"

"What could he do? The majority of the village wanted me dead. He was in the minority. What can one man do against an entire village, even if he's the Hokage? He can't kill them all, because Konoha would die with no people in it! He can't punish them all, as that would have led to an uprising and the people would have forced him off the seat and put someone they trust as the Hokage! Most likely someone whose first order would be for my death! And someone would would probably doom Konoha to destruction! I ask you again, what could he do?"

Sara sighs. "I see your point. But it still feels wrong."

Naruto nods.

"Now then, continue your story, Naruto."

"Well, I applied to the Academy, where..."

The time passes. Their meals were brought to them, but they didn't notice. The restaurant staff didn't mind. They were also engrossed in Naruto's story.

"And then I got the mission to track down Mukade, which resulted in me ending up here."

He hears the sounds of sniffling from all around him. He looks around to see not just the staff looking at him and crying, but the other guests at the restaurant as well.

Sara sighs sadly. "I'm sorry for making you tell me all that, Naruto. I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's okay. You were right. I knew about your life, as you told me about it. It was only right for me to tell you mine. Don't blame yourself. I came to terms with it a while ago. It's no big deal, now."

They both look at their meals. Sara sighs. "I've lost my appetite."

"So have I."

The waiter waves his hand. "It's no problem. We'll package your meals and you can take them home with you."

As the waiter took the meals away, other people in the restaurant began asking Naruto questions.

"Was that all true?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Naruto is cornered by all the concerned people, before the waiter returns with the packaged meals. The two quickly grab the packages, pay the money, and quickly leave the restaurant.

As the walk back to the palace, Sara looks gloomily at Naruto. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Because of me our date was ruined."

Naruto waves his hand at her. "Don't blame yourself. You had no way to know just how horrible my life was. I wasn't expecting the entire restaurant to listen in on us, though."

Sara glares at him. "Naruto, don't you dare hide behind that fake smile. You were just as disappointed at how the date went as I was."

Naruto sighs. "Why is it that out of all the people I know, you're the one who can see right through me? You're right though. That date could have gone better. Well, that means that the next one will have to be better."

Sara stops and stares at him, wide-eyed. "What? You're still interested in dating me after that mess?"

"Why not? Not everyone has a great first date, right? The other ones will have to make up for it. What about you? Are you still interested?"

Sara smiles. "Yes, I am. We'll plan our next date later. Let's go home. I think my appetite returned."

They both laugh as they walk back to the palace.

**Vanex: _I know it's on the short side. But, that's how it is sometimes. Anyway, by the time you guys are done reading this, my new story's prologue should be posted. You heard me. A new story. Go take a look if you're interested. See you all next time!_**


End file.
